29 January 2017

399 7237 struggles for adhesion approaching the crossing at Westerntor with the 08:55 from Wernigerode to Brocken.

4The famous level crossing through the crossroads at Westerntor with 99 7237 heading for the Brocken.

5Looking towards the centre of Wernigerode with the Westerntor (Western Gate) prominent.

6A bronze depiction of Wernigerode which is outside of the tourist office.

7A deserted main square in Wernigerode on a quiet Sunday morning.

8Lovely wood carvings on the town hall in Wernigerode.

9More fantastic painted wood carvings.

10Looking out into the street from the entrance hall at the excellent Kartoffelhaus restaurant.

11The streets of Wernigerode were deserted on this Sunday morning.

12A weather vane which will have seen some events since 1939.

13The view along Breite Strasse as Wernigerode comes to life.

14Cafe Wien on Breite Strasse, just one of many lovely buildings in Wernigerode.

15Shiny!

16Further along Breite Strasse and out of the pedestrian zone.

17A house with some interesting wooden features on Breite Strasse.

18A very ornate frontage on Breite Strasse.

19The amount of time and work which went into this wooden frontage must have been considerable.

20Looking up to the Schloss.

21The view along Pfarrstrasse.

22And the view along Grüne Strasse.

23Most of the snow had melted but there was still the odd patch to be found in more sheltered places.

24Wernigerode HSB depot has “Red Camel” 199 874 waiting for something to do as 99 7234 goes off shed ready to haul the 10:25 to Brocken.

2599 7234 and 199 872 at Wernigerode station.

26V100 199 872, formerly a standard gauge loco, stands at Wernigerode station. These locos were regauged in the late 1980s to replace the 2-10-2t “Brockenloks”. Fortunately, the fall of Communism saw the steam saved for future service. These diesels are now largely used on empty stock workings around Wernigerode.

27The 2-10-2s have plenty of domes and other attachments on top of the boiler!

28No photos!!

29The fireman on 99 7234 doses the powder water treatment from the box on top of the smokebox.

30Looking towards Wernigerode at a grey Halberstadt. The railway water tower, now no longer needed, dominates.

31A pair of HEX units at Halberstadt.

32Looking east at Halberstadt, once a busy place. The steam shed stood between the station and tower in the distance.

33The much improved Halberstadt station is now a major point of interchange on the railways of the Harz.

34Blankenburg-Harz, a station which had seen much better days…..

35There is still some freight at Blankenburg.

36Tom and the railcar which had brought us from Halberstadt.

37Blankenburg is the start of the Rubelandbahn, the steepest adhesion worked railway in Germany at around 1 in 16. The line was electrified in the 1960s to ease operations. It remains an isolated section of electric operation.

38Trains arrive from and depart to other parts of Germany diesel hauled. Stood at Blankenburg station was this pretty ugly Voith Maxima 30 CC diesel hydraulic.

39Blankenburg-Harz.

40Must have been something to look at…..

41Blankenburg station has some impressive but now sadly very underused buildings dating back to when the line was much busier.

42In Blankenburg, near to the station.

43Looking towards the town centre of Blankenburg, a town which still has the air of East German days about it.

44Bored now…..

45There are signs of recovery in Blankenburg with several buildings having been nicely restored.

46Wooden clad buildings in Blankenburg.

47More grand old buildings in Blankenburg.

48A nice old building in need some of some TLC.

49Blankenburg railway works, much quieter than it was.

50The reason for heading over the Blankenburg, standard gauge 2-10-2t 95 027. Built by the KPEV (Prussian State Railways) as a class T20.

5195 027 in Communist days?

5295 027, overhauled at Magdeburg, based at Blankenburg.

53Looking forwards along the motion.

54Crank pin and knuckle detail.

55Water tank gauge.

5695 027 at Blankenburg depot.

57171 002, one of the electric locos used on the Rübelandbahn between electrification and 2005.

58Diesel shunter ‘Rapante 8’ at Blankenburg.

5995 027 sets back at Blankenburg depot.

60The KPEV T20 is an impressive beast with what appears to be small water tanks for the size of loco.

61A wooden framed building in need of serious attention.

62On the footplate on 95 027, looking over at the driver’s side.

63The fireman’s side of the footplate on 95 027.

64An unusual feature of 95 027 is the staggering of the gauge glasses, done to better see the water level on severe gradient changes.

65A view into the firebox through 95 027’s Marcotty Firehole door.

66Driver’s notices.

67GSM-R D, a bit different to the UK version.

6895 027’s motion and under the boiler a feedwater heater.

69At the front of 95 027, above the dustbin sized cylinder, is a cross compound air pump made by Knorr.

70Don’t drink the water…..

71Inside the shed at Blankenburg is out of ticket 50 3708. This class 50 is an East German Reko loco.

7250 3708 last ran on September 21 2014.

73A piston valve of the Schulze type. Similar in thinking to the Trofimoff valve but with springs between the valve head components.

74The back end of Reko 50 3708.

75I am really not sure why there is the top half of a manikin on the footplate!

76Cabside of 50 3708.

77Built in 1941 and reconstructed in 1962.

78Bufferbeam detail which tells that the locomotive was given a main overhaul at Mansfelder Lokomotiv Werkstatt, being released to traffic on 22 September 2006. K7 refers to the type of repair, LBK indicates it is allocated to Blankenburg and the next overhaul fell due on 13 May 2011.

79171 002 head on at Blankenburg depot.

80Tom looks for some fan action but was disappointed.

81The group at Blankenburg depot, from the left Stu, me, Pete, Tom and Roland.

8295 027 waits time at Blankenburg depot.

83A side road at Blankenburg depot.

84The Rübelandbahn climbs out Blankenburg to the reversing station at Michaelstein. Here 95 027 runs-round its train in the snow.

85The short train hauled by 95 027 was well filled.

8695 027 runs-round at Michaelstein.

8795 027 finds a hint of brightness at Michaelstein.

8895 027 is now at the head of the train and ready to set off for Rübeland.

89The snowy scene on the descent towards Rübeland.

90Ready to cut off and go for servicing following arrival at Rübeland. The railway continues from here but the steam service does not.

9195 027 at a snowy Rübeland station.

92As in so many places the station building at Rübeland is huge. Was it ever fully utilised?

93There is no longer a regular passenger service to Rübeland but the station is kept in good order.

94A moment of weakness from Tom, a smile for the camera.

95The impressive station building at Rübeland.

96Rübeland signalbox.

97Following on from a discussion around all photographers being a pain (to be polite!) Tom photobombs at Rübeland.

9895 027 takes water at Rübeland. Normally it would run to the small museum nearby which hosts one of the original 2-10-2t locos used on the line, a loco named “Mammut” (Mammoth). Unfortunately, this was not possible due to incomplete track repairs. When at the depot “Mammut” is normally pulled out for display alongside the T20. Next time…..

99The snowy scene at Rübeland.

100A view up the partial frozen river Bode alongside the station building at Rübeland.

101Having taken water 95 027 runs-round at Rübeland.

102A well cared for wooden church at Rübeland.

103Looking towards Blankenburg at Rübeland. As is normal in German there is no fence on the railway.

104The route of the Rübelandbahn has been altered over the years. The line now climbs away from Rübeland sooner and less steeply than it once did. The old route diverged at this point (marked by the red track marker) running lower down before passing through a tunnel and up another section of 1 in 16. The museum containing “Mammut” is off to the right.

105All freight trains on the Rübelandbahn are top and tailed to save running round at Michaelstein. The tale engine on this train, 185 641, brings up the rear in Rübeland.

106The river Bode contains a fish ladder at Rübeland.

107The new Rübelandbahn route climbs fairly sharply out of the valley, the old route is under the snow on the right.

108A largely frozen weir on the river Bode.

10995 027 repeats its running round at Michaelstein on the way back to Blankenburg.